The contamination of raw materials and processed products with harmful biological material is regarded as a drawback to public health and the environment to an ever increasing extent. Increasingly stringent demands with regard to the bacteriological state are being made, in particular in respect of materials and equipment which are used in the foodstuffs industry. The problem is particularly acute in the case of, for example, processes in the foodstuffs industry in which conveyor belts and the like are used and the process is carried out at room temperature, because under such conditions it is difficult to control and combat pathogens and other harmful constituents.
It is known to improve the shelf life of foodstuffs by adding chemicals. According to U.S. Pat. No. 2053740, hydrogen peroxide can be added to milk and cream, or substances which generate hydrogen peroxide under the action of enzymes can be added to foodstuffs (German Patent 2420135). Monohydric and polyhydric alcohols can also be used for the treatment of foodstuffs (EP-A-169927, DE-A-2119351, GB-A-1273938 and GB-A-1375704). The addition of sulphite in order to keep the contamination of foodstuffs to an acceptable level is also generally known. Chlorine is frequently used for cleaning and disinfecting production equipment. Moreover, the use of chemicals entails the risk that the dosage may be too high, as a result of which carcinogenic or allergic effects can sometimes arise. The use of chlorine can also lead to corrosion of metal-containing apparatus, which in turn can form a source of contamination with bacteria. A further disadvantage of the chemical agents used to date is that the excess of the agents is entrained with cleaning water and therefore can pollute the environment.
A solution to problems of this type has been sought in working in a sterile room or in the use of effluent treatment. Water-treatment devices of this type are usually designed on the basis of the average water quality, the bacteriological pollution and the effluent standards. Disruptions in production frequently lead to overloading of the device, as a result of which it is again necessary to resort to chemicals in order to meet the production requirements. These various factors lead to a sometimes unacceptable increase in costs and environmental pollution.
There is therefore great need for an inexpensive and simple method for the treatment of raw materials, products and production means, and also of process water from such a production. A method, a composition and a device have been found with which it is possible to meet this need.